Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nairobi Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nairobi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $836 in Nairobi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,368 in Nairobi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,900 in Nairobi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 56% more than Nairobi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Nairobi are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Nairobi 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.94 KES 509

203.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$34.11 KES 4,410

38.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$6.21 KES 803

89.21%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.71 KES 351

52.03%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.60 KES 78.2

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.56 KES 73.0

62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.39 KES 309

34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.77 KES 358

155.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$0.84 KES 109

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.52 KES 67.8

313.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.88 KES 243

-5.85%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.63 KES 211

73.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.57 KES 1,366

-12.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.27 KES 810

47.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$6.13 KES 792

106.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.31 KES 428

-10.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.04 KES 135

51.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.06 KES 266

7.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.07 KES 139

120.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.11 KES 143

79.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.07 KES 139

85.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.72 KES 93.6

72.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.73 KES 94.3

65.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$3.49 KES 452

31.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$11.54 KES 1,492

-8.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.23 KES 288

-24.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.87 KES 371

-3.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.79 KES 102

-24.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$45.54 KES 5,889

-34.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.59 KES 206

229.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.51 KES 195

141.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$2.94 KES 380

96.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.52 KES 197

1.32%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$20.2K KES 2.6M

12.64%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$19.4K KES 2.5M

32.99%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$90.7 MX$1,538

$60.5 KES 7,816

49.99%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.19 MX$427

$15.08 KES 1,950

67.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$35.24 KES 4,557

-9.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$51.0 KES 6,598

34.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$14.83 KES 1,918

98.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$7.66 KES 990

-36.55%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$226 MX$3,828

$242 KES 31.3K

-6.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$11.7K KES 1.5M

-64.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$26.74 KES 3,458

77.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$25.62 KES 3,313

69.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$62.3 KES 8,051

28.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$61.1 KES 7,905

49.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$452 KES 58.5K

139.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$215 KES 27.8K

90.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,135 KES 146.8K

73.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$508 KES 65.7K

152.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$1,302 KES 168.4K

210.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$917 KES 118.5K

631.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$484 KES 62.6K

59.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

14.71

-22.16%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $452 in Nairobi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 60% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.00 in Nairobi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $203 – making Nairobi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 56% more than Nairobi, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,253 in Nairobi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nairobi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Nairobi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $242 in Nairobi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nairobi, where all-in costs run around $836, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Nairobi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nairobi costs $836 versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Nairobi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.